What is it with ‘selfies’? Why do so many people feel the need to remind themselves constantly of what they look like?

Personally, that couple of minutes twice a day looking in the bathroom mirror while brushing my teeth is more than sufficient for me to keep the old memory banks topped up, self-image wise. I’m pretty sure I’d recognise myself anywhere, with no need for further training.

Of course there’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking a picture of yourself and/or your loved ones, either as a free-standing portrait or ‘on location’ (we were here, this us what we saw). But on a recent trip to Venice I couldn’t help but feel that the whole selfie thing had got out of hand.

Venice is undoubtedly one of the most photographed places on earth. And why not? It’s beautiful and – apart from the teeming tourists – fully deserving of its description of ‘La Serenissima’